Freight carrier



May 1926," j' A. H.- SMITH FREIGHT CARRIER Filed Dec. 2; '1921 2 sheetsfsn'e'ev' l 8 nventok May 4 1926.

' A. H. SMITH FREIGHT CARRIER Fild Dec. 21. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May-4, 1926.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT 1.583.319 OFFICE.

ALFRED E. SMITH, OF CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK; MAUDE EMERY SMITH AND EMERY HOLLAND SMITH, EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF SAID ALFRED HOLLAND SMITH, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS TO THE LESS CARLOAD LOTS COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. I

FREIGHT CARRIER.

Application filed December 21, 1921. Serial No. 524,080. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Chappaqua, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The practice of shipping less than carload lots of freight in containers, which containers are designed in their connection with the carrier, to be removed at different stations along the route, has given rise to the necessity of providing some means to transport these containers to the consignee, and at the same time preserve the security of the goods in the containers while they are transported from the railroad station to the place of the business of the consignee. This is especially important in cases of mail, as has been demonstrated recently by very heavy robberies of the United States mail win some of our large cities.

The object of my invention is to provide a carrier, a motor truck or a trailer, to transport these containers between the point of destination and the railroad station, and maintain the security of the goods the containers while being thus transported, the

railroad carriers.

My invention consists of a carrier designed to be propelled or drawn along the streets of a city or wagon roads, such a carrier being provided with bulkheads between which the containers are securelyand safely positioned so that the doors cannot be opened until the bulkheads arelowered. My invention consists of the combination with a motor truck having a platform with bulkheads extending vertically from the platform, containers positioned on said platform and provided with a. door which door is immediately backof one of said bulk- 4 heads when the container is loaded on the truck, whereby the dooncannot be opened until the bulkhead is lowered or the confainar raised above the top edge of thebulkiea k In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an enlar ed detail rear elevation of Figure 1, parts eing broken away,

' ject a same as when the containers are on the truck, or the suitable carrier, designed to be moved along city streets or roads and provided with a platform 2, upon which platform are disposed vertical side andend bulkheads 3 .and 4, respectively, which prosubstantial distance above the platform 2. v The containers 5 are adapted to be loaded on the platform between the bulkheads 3 and 4, with the lower portion of the door 6 of the container below the top edge of the bulkheads as shown by dotted lines in Flg. 2.

The bulkheads are provided with suitable guide-ways 7 shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, while the containers are provided with guides 8, also shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, adapted to enter the guide ways 7 as the containers are loaded between the bulkheads. The bulkheads 4 are provided with slots 9 near each end thereof, through which project the arm 10, which .is secured to the container, said arm '10 being adapted to'be engaged by a latch 11, which is mounted on the reciprocating rod 12, whichrod is in turn pivotally fastened at its lower end to the short arm 13 of the bell crank lever 14, which lever is pivotally mounted at-15 to a suitable casting 16 mounted on the platform 2, so that the rod 12 is adapted to be swung on its pivot to bring the latch 11 vertically over the-arm 10, whereby the bell crank lever 14 is moved upon its pivot bringing the latch-into engagement with the arm 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The containers are provided with suitable braces 17 and with lifting ears 18. It will be seen that when the containers are in position on the truck shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is impossible to open the door 6' to gain access to the contents of the coutainer without first elevating the containers above the bulkheads 3. and 4, and as it is impossible to do. this without the aid of a. crane, it will be seen that theft of the container while in transit through streets is impossible.

While I have selected the construction shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating my inventive thought, it will, of

' course, be understood that my invention is not limited tosuch construction as changes may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

'What I claim is:.

The combination 'with a motor truck having a platform, bulkheads extending vertically from the platform; vertical slots insome of said bulkheads opening at the top of such bulkhead, gmdeways secured to some of the bulkheads, of a container on said plattainer constructed to interlock with said guideways, arms on the container projecting through said slots, and means to lock said arms in said slots.

ture.

ALFRED H. SMITH.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa-. 

